Economies!

Letter to the Editor.

DESPITE the depression and the exces sive low price of copra, Unilever, Ltd., still continues to make big profits, and one wonders, in view of this, why a branch of Unilever, Ltd., engaged in the production of copra should make small economies at the expense of the man on the plantation.

The latest move on the part of those in authority, is to make all their employees engaged on plantation work supply their own soap, starch and blue. Granted, it is not a great sacrifice, but will it stop at that, or will other things follow?

Of course, it is highly gratifying to feel that even in a small way one is assisting to combat the depression. Yet, every day, we see the boys throwing away their issue of maize-meal, as a protest against the change to that food from rice. Assuming that this is being done on the 22 or so estates controlled by Levers, the cost must run into many hundreds of pounds.

Surely the greatest soap manufacturers in the world can continue to supply soap to their own employees, who produce the raw material for them. “Petty economies” of this nature are absurd, taking into con sideration the wastes in other directions I am, etc.,

B.S.I., Feb. 6, 1934.

Aussie.